Although he'd already witnessed Chiba's intelligence and heard quite a few of his exploits from Asuma, Chiriku still found the words "two days" utterly surreal.
The Iron Wall Seal Formation might not have been the most secret technique of the Temple of Fire, but it was still one of their most trusted barrier seals—one that every generation of abbot poured their heart and soul into mastering.
And now…
He learned it in two days?
Where does that leave the countless sages of the Temple of Fire?!
Chiriku almost wanted to scold him on the spot, but when he opened his mouth, what came out was an entirely different question.
"Asuma mentioned that you wished to study the techniques of our temple's Sage Chakra?"
"If your temple is willing, I'd be happy to learn about the Sage Chakra's arts as part of the exchange."
Clearly, Asuma's message hadn't been passed along quite right.
Chiba quickly clarified before the misunderstanding could grow any worse.
"Also, I'm not asking for that as payment. If I manage to create any new techniques, I'll share them with your temple as well."
"Asuma said you wanted that as part of the payment, or… as a separate trade?"
"No. Improving the barrier itself will benefit me too, so I'd prefer to treat them separately."
Chiba shook his head.
At that moment, the Third Hokage tapped his fingers on the table, mediating the discussion.
"Abbot Chiriku, Chiba has developed many original techniques of his own—many of great value. Perhaps you can see if any meet your temple's needs, and we can trade accordingly.
"If that still doesn't suffice, the Village Hidden in the Leaves will offer full support. As long as you're interested, we'll make it work."
The Third spoke generously.
The Sage Chakra's Arts were of immense worth—obtaining even the knowledge behind them would be more than worth the price.
Chiriku nodded slightly. "Let's set that aside for now. As for our side's conditions, we've discussed it at length and decided to offer knowledge as the exchange item."
"That's more than enough."
Chiba nodded, excitement flickering in his eyes.
Knowledge might not be a technique in itself, but possessing it meant holding the key to the door—given enough effort, one could one day create their own Sage Chakra Art.
"secondly," Chiriku added solemnly, "even if you succeed in creating it, you must not spread it to others without permission."
Chiba nodded . He understood completely.
That Chiriku was even willing to part with such knowledge was already far beyond what he'd hoped for.
"Since you've agreed, then I won't need any payment. After all—"
"Chiriku," Chiba interrupted, "why don't you take a look at a few of my techniques first? Some of them might suit your temple's ninja monks."
He didn't want Chiriku to simply give without receiving. The abbot struck him as a good man, and Chiba truly didn't want to see him fall to Hidan and Kakuzu in the future.
Even if these techniques couldn't defeat the immortal duo, every bit of power helped.
Besides—
Chiriku himself might not need them, but the monks under him certainly could. Not everyone in the Temple of Fire could master the Sage Chakra's Arts.
After a short pause, Chiriku nodded. "Then this humble monk will gladly accept your generosity."
The Third Hokage brought over the Book of Creation.
"Chakra Threads and Chakra Needles probably aren't useful to you. But these—Limit State and Chaotic Body Impact: Burst—should be of great help to your monks.
"As for the Absorption Barrier, that one will take a little longer."
The Third gave a small approving nod.
The two techniques Chiba had mentioned indeed suited the monks perfectly—they relied mostly on taijutsu, with little emphasis on ninjutsu.
As for the Absorption Barrier, Chiba's version seemed to be designed to work in tandem with specialized ninja tools, which was more fitting anyway.
Seeing the Hokage's approval, Chiriku trusted his judgment and turned to the first page.
Limit State.
At first, he didn't think much of it—but halfway through reading, his eyes widened in disbelief.
This was created by a twelve-year-old?!
Chiriku kept glancing up at Chiba, his expression growing more complicated each time.
He had to admit…
He'd underestimated the boy.
"You're not worried that the Sage Chakra's Arts might not be worth as much as these?"
"Not at all. A new system of knowledge is always more valuable than a handful of individual techniques."
Chiba shook his head firmly.
Individual techniques… simple?
Chiriku almost laughed. Simple, huh? Fine.
He couldn't help but smile—this child's honesty and natural talent were the reason he'd gone to the temple council in the first place.
The principles of Limit State were easy enough to grasp.
After reading through once, he nodded slightly and gestured for Chiba to continue.
Chaotic Body Impact: Burst.
Inject highly condensed chakra into the target and detonate it from within…
A difficult technique, but not impossible.
Chiriku imagined the effect—if struck near the vital organs, the damage would be catastrophic.
"If the regular monks can't master it, they can still use the concept: focus condensed chakra into a critical strike. There's also a more advanced version."
Chaotic Body Impact: Spiral.
Chiriku focused intently—he hadn't expected an even stronger variant. The sheer complexity made it hard for him to imagine how the boy had achieved it.
This was… insane.
The Spiral version wasn't merely an improvement—it was an entirely new branch of the Gentle Fist, something even the Hyuga Clan had never conceived.
In a sense, Chiba had founded an entirely new discipline.
Chiriku scratched his head, embarrassed. "I take back what I said earlier. These two techniques are incredibly important to the Temple of Fire."
"I'm glad they'll be of use. A fair exchange ensures there'll be more cooperation in the future."
Chiba smiled.
"By the way," Chiriku asked curiously, "the Absorption Barrier you mentioned earlier—what is that exactly?"
"Oh, it's a barrier technique I separated from the Earth Prison Hall framework."
Chiba gave a simple explanation, then elaborated on his idea of a Chakra Pool.
By the end, Chiriku's eyes were practically shining—his excitement barely contained.
But then Chiba added, "Unfortunately, due to the limits of current ninja tool technology, it's still under development."
"When it's complete, please—grant our temple a copy!"
Chiriku spoke with such sincerity that he didn't even realize his tone had grown far more respectful than before.
Deep down, though, he couldn't help but worry—
Was the Sage Chakra's knowledge really enough to trade for all of this?
It felt like…
The Temple of Fire might be the one profiting here.
His emotions were complicated.
The Third Hokage smiled quietly nearby, pleased to see such promise in Konoha's next generation. After a few words, he excused himself, leaving Chiba and Chiriku alone.
A while later, Chiriku finally gathered his thoughts.
"Let me tell you about the Sage Chakra's Arts. It was originally a protective spell monks used when exorcising demons, but over time, many of the associated techniques became unusable…"
He rambled on, while Chiba listened intently without interrupting.
When Chiriku finished, Chiba nodded thoughtfully.
So that's how it was. The technique dated back to the pre-shinobi era—likely similar to how the Toad Sages used natural energy.
Then came the arrival of the God Tree, which absorbed most of the world's natural energy… rendering many of those ancient arts unusable.
In essence, it was of the same nature as Sage Mode—just that the monks' method was far slower and more intricate.
"So, the method of training is through meditation?"
"For now, yes. We don't have a systematic approach. In each generation, only one or two people manage to awaken it."
Chiriku nodded lightly.
Chiba understood. Meditation was likely a way to sense and attune to natural energy—similar to the practice on Mount Myoboku.
But then …
How should he phrase his next question?
After a moment of thought, he asked, "When you meditate, have you ever felt a certain special kind of power?"
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